Jar Of Hearts
by Living.Like.A.Boss
Summary: Pharaoh Poseidon's son, Percy, is of the perfect age to get married off. Although Percy was male, he's been raised and marketed as a princess his entire life, due to a blessing from the goddess of childbirth Tawaret, on the day of his birth. And now, it was time for him to choose his suitor. Nicercy. Egyptian AU.
1. Prologue

**Jar Of Hearts**

**Summary: **Pharaoh Poseidon's son, Percy, is of the perfect age to get married off. Although Percy was male, he's been raised and marketed as a princess his entire life, due to a blessing from the goddess of childbirth Tawaret, in the day of his birth. And now, it was time for him to choose his suitor. Nicercy. Egyptian AU.

**Warning(s): **Feminisation of the character Percy Jackson, Mpreg, Crack-ish at times, Angsty at others

**Author's Note: **For Takara Phoenix's Nicercy Summer Contest. Loosely (very loosely) inspired by 'Dark Horse', Katy Perry, and a Chinese History Lesson on Ancient Egypt.

* * *

_Prologue_

Percy knelt in front of his father, listening quietly—the very picture of obedience—as his father told him about the courting proceedings that he would have to go through. However, though Percy was calm on the surface, his emotions were bubbling like an inferno within. He had just found out that he would have to get married off soon, that there would be a man who would be taking him as 'his wife'. And he was scared, to say the least.

"The Introduction Ceremony should be held the following week—"

Percy knew that he should be thankful that his father, the Pharaoh Poseidon, had waited until he was sixteen before marrying him off, and that he was even giving Percy a choice, but the anxiety still buzzed in his veins. Since he was considered a woman in the eyes of many—he _wasn't _though, and he still detested the fact that some people treated him as such—Percy should have been married off at age twelve, or at the latest, fourteen. He also should not have a choice in his suitor at all. Usually, if a man wanted to get his chosen one as his wife, all the dealings would be made through the father.

"—I expect you to know all of the necessary procedures—"

He wasn't a normal case though. Percy was born a male citizen (Prince, actually, but he didn't want to think about that right now) of Egypt, but his was different from the other men. Percy could get pregnant.

He didn't really know _why _he had the ability, but he knew what his parents told him. Apparently, the Goddess of Childbirth Tawaret had blessed him on the day of his birth with the ability to bear children. And from then onwards, Percy had been raised as a Princess, instead of the Prince he was. Which meant he stayed in the castle and learnt how to tend the household with his mother while his brothers went to school and apprenticed for a variety of trades. His older brother, Triton, was in the process of courting his own chosen at the moment, at the common age of twenty.

"—your mother will show you the ways you should act—"

Percy had wondered before why he could not just be treated as a male. He was one, after all, in all the technical sense of the word. The only thing that differentiated him from the rest of the male populace was his 'blessing'. And that secret could have been easily kept, no one would have known if his parents have not announced it to the entire kingdom.

His father had explained his reasoning to him when Percy had brought it up in a moment of impulse once. Ignoring Percy's blessing would have been considered a sign of disrespect to the goddess and she would have cursed the land with infertility if he did not utilize his ability. And the natural course of action would be to raise Percy as a female so that he could get married off and bear the children of a noble—or another prince from some other kingdom.

Percy saw no fault in the reasoning. He would have to do his duty to his kingdom. He would not subject the kingdom to a curse by disagreeing with his father's decisions and better judgement. He just wished—

"—I will show you which are more appropriate according to their social standing—"

Nothing. He didn't wish anything. It was not his place to wish.

_It isn't all bad though_, Percy tried convincing himself. He would get to choose his partner, even if they would be the ones bringing him gifts and singing his praises, not the other way around. Some people would even say it was a privilege. Percy ignored the fact that he didn't feel that way at all.

_At least I am not adverse to the idea of being with a man. _Percy had never experience sexual desire before. He doubted he was supposed to. He had never felt—what did Triton call it?—a stirring in his groin when he looked at the female form. And he hasn't been in the presence of many men besides his immediate family, so his attraction might lean towards men. Which is good.

"Do you understand, Perseus?" Poseidon finally ended his briefing (although, if Percy could use any word to describe the speech, it would be anything but 'brief'), staring at him, eyes sharp and piercing.

Percy bowed forward, his head touching the ground, and answered, "I understand father."


	2. The Noble Nico

_Chapter One—The Noble Nico_

Nico glared, though he was looking at his bare feet so his father could not see. It was okay to feel anger towards a parent but it was absolutely unseemly to openly display your disrespect.

Gritting his teeth as his father went on happily about how marrying the 'princess' would help raise their nomes' standing, Nico made to interrupt.

"I am sorry Father, but I don't recall ever agreeing to this arrangement," he finally said, causing his father to cease his ramblings.

His father, Hades, turned dark eyes onto Nico. Hades was the noble who ruled over the Seventeenth Nome of Upper Egypt, which, by default, made Nico a noble as well. Their Nome's hieroglyphs was that of a black dog and they were quite the outcast compared to the other nomes since they considered Anubis the second most sacred god—inferior only to Ra—instead of, say, Bast (the Cat Goddess) or Horus (the War God). However, though they were looked down upon by several of their neighbouring Nomes, they were strong and feared at the same time.

Nico could understand where his father was coming from; planning to join their family and thus, their Nome's name, to the Pharaoh was a clever maneuver. But, what was really pissing Nico off was that Hades didn't even confide in Nico, didn't ask for Nico's opinion and just expected him to do it. He was asking for Nico to _court _and _marry _someone he did not know—and Nico did not want to do any of it. Once again, Nico felt like his father's pawn.

_But I am, aren't I? _Nico thought bitterly. Still, Nico wasn't going to give in without a fight. He was stubborn like that.

"_Son," _Hades said in a menacing tone. "This is for the good of our Nome. You _will _go through with this."

"I won't," Nico replied, eyes sparking defiantly. "I do not want to get married Father. _Especially _not to someone I do not know."

"He's the Pharaoh's son! What else do you need to know?" Hades exclaimed, in a rare moment of uncontrolled emotion. "This is a golden opportunity and you would be a fool to throw it away."

Nico scowled, turning away from his father. "I need to know if I can love him, of course. No good can come out of a relationship when there is no love."

"Your mother has been filling your head with those foolish notions again," Hades muttered under his breath. Raising his voice, he continued, "You are already twenty-two Nikolas. You are too old to further indulge in your futile beliefs. Just trust me. Go to the Introduction Ceremony, at least."

Nico bit his lip in contemplation. His father wasn't forcing him, was actually giving him a choice (although Nico was sure that if he still responded in negative after Hades' compromise, the next few days would be hell). Nico wasn't obligated to do anything besides go for the Prince's Introduction Ceremony. Nothing more. Besides, who knew? There was always a possibility that Nico would find someone he could love during the journey to the Great House.

Somewhat reluctantly, Nico replied in the affirmative, before taking off to his sleeping quarters, his mind abuzz with conflicting thoughts. He would have to make the appropriate preparations.

Behind him, Hades gave a triumphant smile.

* * *

Stepping out of the boat, Nico whistled at the sight. The sight of people carrying cargo and bargaining wasn't much different from back at home but unlike Upper Egypt, the Great House—which was situated closer to the First Nome of Lower Egypt—was surrounded by lots of greenery. It was sort of beautiful, Nico had to admit.

_Maybe this trip will be worth my while, _Nico mused, admiring the scenery. He wasn't one for travelling but it was refreshing seeing a new sight once in awhile.

He scanned the crowded marketplace, clad in the wear that pronounced him of higher status—his kilt's design elaborate, made of finest linen—and had to stop himself from blushing as people turned to stare at him occasionally. He might be a noble and all but he did not like getting attention. He probably should have thought about that before and dressed in clothing that didn't draw so much attention.

Sighing, he gestured for the two men he brought to assist him to take his stuff and find accommodation for the night. The Introduction Ceremony was not starting until tomorrow and his stay at the Great House as a possible suitor would only begin then.

As his men went away, Nico decided to roam around the marketplace and investigate the area.

* * *

Nico has been walking for quite awhile, his feet tired and his face sweaty. The sun was setting soon and he probably should get to his temporary dwelling for the night. Nico closed his eyes, stopping in his place to yawn, when he was suddenly knocked into by a figure coming out from nowhere.

"Ack – !" Nico cried out. "Watch where you're going, would you?"

The figure—a young man, he realised, maybe even a teenager—started apologizing profusely, his head bowed, trying to keep his face out of Nico's view. "So sorry—I'm just in a rush and didn't see you. Sorry!"

Nico just stared at him, wondering why the youth was so flustered, and said, "It's okay. Just watch where you are going next time."

"Thank you," the raven-haired teenager breathed, lifting his head to give Nico a grateful grin. Nico gasped. Even under the dim light the setting sun provided, the youth's green eyes—so foreign yet so beautiful—stunned Nico.

Hearing Nico's gasp, the youth started and ran away, for reasons he couldn't understand. Nico wanted to chase after him because he was sure the leap his heart made when he peered into those green eyes meant _something_. Might even mean love. Yet, he didn't. He just continued staring at the place where the young man once stood, confused at what had just taken place.

* * *

Percy ran as quickly as his legs could carry him.

_Shit! _He cursed in his mind. _He must have recognized me!_

Percy was not supposed to be outside the Great House, especially not so late in the evening that nightfall was right around the corner. However, he had specifically chosen this time so he wouldn't get caught, the darkness acting as his shield.

_But you managed to let someone see your face. _Percy berated himself, _Stupid._

He just hoped that whomever he had bumped into wouldn't alert the guards or anything. It wasn't that Percy was doing anything _bad—_he wasn't running away or anything as drastic as that. However, he would not be able to get out of the House without sneaking out, so staying hidden was essential.

It was just—the weight of the revelation that his Introduction Ceremony was _tomorrow_ scared the wits out of him. He had spent the days leading up to this studying from his mother and father about what was expected of him and he needed someone who could talk to him without judgement. Impartially. And the only one who came to mind was his best friend, Annabeth.

She was older than him by a year and was married to a Luke or whatever, and lived in the First Nome, Lower Egypt. As a child, before Percy had to realise his responsibility and do his duty, he used to go outside quite a lot to play with the other kids. He usually hang out with the girls though—the other boys' parents either thought he would spread his 'feminine curse' to their children, thus making sure they didn't go near him, or urged them to play with him so that they could get closer to the royal family (and in that case, his mother advised him to stay away from them)—and Annabeth was the one he most trusted and still (sort of) kept in touch with.

_I just need to talk to her, _Percy thought. _Maybe she can get rid of all my nerves. _

_Yes, _he thought as he caught sight of Annabeth's home ahead. _Maybe she can help me._

* * *

**I hope I got my facts right...Researching more about Egypt was fun =)**

**Either way, I hope you like this chapter and please review if you have anything to say!**


	3. The Introduction Ceremony

_Chapter Two—The Introduction Ceremony_

The rising sun was making its appearance known, the early morning light basking the Nile in a brilliant yellow and seeping into window cracks to dust away sleep from people's eyes.

However, two people were never asleep to begin with and the sun meaning the end of night regrettably meant the end of their meeting as well.

Percy was sad to leave Annabeth's house—after all, it's been six months since he last saw her and with his marriage (to whomever) nearing, he doubted he would be having another reunion with her anytime soon—but he was glad that he got to see her, and that he got what he came for.

Annabeth had thought it was a pity that his father was marrying him away in such a fashion—she was quite a radical believer in free and equal rights for all—and had comforted, as well as encouraged, Percy.

"It won't be too bad," she had said. "My father had set me up with Luke and I'm happy here. You get to choose who you want to be with. So, make the choice that would make you happy, Percy."

Now feeling at ease after receiving Annabeth's advice and words of comfort, Percy headed back to the Great House.

He yawned into the cloth covering his face (that he borrowed from Annabeth's house, he had just learnt that one could never be to careful when trying to hide their identity from others) and quickened up his pace.

The Introduction Ceremony would not start until late evening, as it was traditional for it to be held right after a scrumptious feast, in the privacy of the Great House with only the suitors, the courted, the courted's father, and a few guards—which could sadly not be said for the Gift Presentation Ceremony, Declaration of Intent Rite, etc. to come. So, if Percy hurried, he could probably squeeze in a few hours of much needed sleep.

It would be disastrous if he were to suddenly fall asleep in the middle of the ceremony, after all.

* * *

Percy was in a battlefield and war was raging all around him. He was fazed for a while, confused on what was going on. Egypt was currently in a period of peace, all the Nomes living together in harmony, leaving behind the small revolts of prior years when fighting for resources was necessary, since the crops that year failed, a result of the previous Pharaoh angering the river god Hapi. Turns out Hapi wasn't very happy when a Pharaoh failed to provide him with the yearly sacrifice.

But that aside, the Nile had been doing its job rather well at present so Percy didn't quite understand why there was a war going on.

Or more importantly, why he was in the front lines. He panicked for a second. Although a Pharaoh's second son—which Percy was—usually entered the army since their older brother would be next in line for the throne, Percy was majorly unprepared for this. With his honorary female status, he had never been trained; his teachings had all been about being a proper 'wife' in the future, with absolutely no mentions of fighting or survival tactics.

Percy swallowed harshly and decided he should utilize one of his teachings: When unsure of what to do, ask politely for direction.

He walked up to a nearby soldier, ready to ask what he should do when—

—he suddenly woke up to one of the servants in his room shouting at him to awaken from his slumber.

"—Wake up, princess! The Ceremony is starting in a few hours and we still have to dress you up, and the Pharaoh requests that you allow him to give you a few last minute instructions—"

Percy groaned. Although he was glad that the war had been a dream and he was not as worried as before about the Ceremony due to Annabeth's reassurances, Percy couldn't help but feel that he just went **(1)** out of the pyramid and into the desert.

* * *

Nico stared at the Great House, feeling half in awe and half resigned. Now that he thought about it, he really, _really _didn't want to go through with this. In fact, what Nico wanted to do was to search the nearby area of that fateful encounter so that he could seek out the mysterious stranger with the mesmerizing eyes…

Okay, did that sound creepy? Was it unnatural that he was already feeling so obsessive over someone he didn't even know the name of? Nico brushed of the thought. Nah, Nico was perfectly normal.

Anyway, it was about time for his introduction. He was one of the last few to be announced since they went in order of which part of Egypt one came from (Lower Egypt first, then Upper), and then the Nome number. Nico had to resist the urge to yawn. It was so _boring._ And unnecessary, considering that Nico was planning to sabotage his chances, anyway. Then he would be free to search for his runaway stranger. He just had to get through this.

"…Octavian, Son of Augustus, Priest hailing from the Tenth Nome of Upper Egypt."

Nico readied himself; his turn had come.

"Nico, Son of Hades, Noble hailing from the Seventeenth Nome of Upper Egypt."

Nico entered the throne room, bowed to Pharaoh Poseidon, and took his place at the end of the long line of suitors. It was actually quite intimidating, the number of people (Nico counted roughly thirty or so) wanting to win the Prince's hand. Nico was quite relieved that he wasn't here to put up much of a fight.

He shut out the rest of the names the announcer droned on about and allowed his mind to wander outside of the ceremonial proceedings, green eyes taking up his thoughts…

"And now, the Princess Perseus, Son of Pharaoh, of the Great House."

Nico snapped out of his thoughts as he realised that the Prince was entering. Slowly, a slender figure revealed himself, gliding into the room and positioning himself on the seat left to the Pharaoh.

_Ah, _Nico thought absent-mindedly. _That must be the Prince. His body is quite pleasant to look at, although I'm still really not interested._

The Prince scanned the room's occupants, head shifting from one end of the line to the other. But when those eyes landed on Nico—_green, unforgettable and…fearful_?—the Noble immediately knew he had to eat those words, as well as throw his entire action plan to sabotage his chances out of the window.

* * *

**(1) This would mean 'from the frying pan and into the fire' in modern speech. I'm trying to Egyptian-ise everything—even though I'm not even sure if a standardized method of measuring time existed back then. Oh well.**


	4. Unwanted Reunion

_Chapter Three—Unwanted Reunion_

_It's him, _Nico's mind screamed. _That's him._

The enchanting stranger he had met turned out to be the Prince he was sent to woo and marry. It was funny how fate worked, really.

Now, Nico had to find a way to compete with thirty over people for the Prince's hand, since he honestly was very struck by their first meeting—like love at first sight, or perhaps it was a blessing from Hathor, the goddess of Love. Nico didn't know and he truly didn't care at the moment.

All he knew was that he wanted to hold the Prince in his arms and call him his.

This strong feeling aside though, Nico really had to work out a plan. He hated to admit that his father had been right about anything—yes, he was rebellious even though he should be way past that stage by now—but he wanted the Prince. Perseus, that was his name.

Nico vaguely wondered if the Prince would one day allow him to shorten 'Perseus' into a variety of endearing nicknames. _Percy, Perce, Cici_..._and he would call me by a pet name as well—_

Oh, but Nico was getting ahead of himself. Very far ahead. His attraction—a still rapidly growing fascination—to the Prince was worrying, if it was causing him to daydream about something like that. He knew he didn't have any great selling points besides his Nome's efficiency in warfare, since the rest of it was what caused other Nomes to dislike them so. Thus, it was obvious that he would need to be as charming and charismatic as possible. That would be a little difficult for him to pull of, especially considering the fact that most people found him to be threatening and unapproachable. And looking at all the other, more eligible people in the room…

It would be hard to win the Prince's hand.

But Nico was nothing if not persistent. And he never backed down from a fight.

* * *

Percy sat on the throne as each of his suitors went up to him, kissed the back of his hand, introduced themselves to him and proceeded to boast about their good points, as well as monologue about why they would make a good husband for him. Most of them really just went on and on about their wealth and superior standing in society, something which Percy couldn't care less about. Except for the fact that it was what his father had told him to look out for.

The green-eyed Prince had been listening attentively at first. However, with every single man talking about basically the same thing, he started to tune them out, their speeches all blending together into an incomprehensible mess in his mind.

And his eyes kept darting towards the man near the end of the line, the one with the dark, obsidian eyes and messy black hair. Don't get him wrong, it wasn't because he was so attracted to the other man that he couldn't tear his eyes away—although, the man had very handsome features, as well as a fit figure—it was because it was the stranger that he had bumped into on his trip to Annabeth's house, the one who had saw his face.

A slight shiver ran down Percy's spine. He hadn't realised the other man was so stunningly gorgeous, since he had not been able to see his face clearly in the light of the setting sun. Even so, he had hoped to never meet the person he had bumped into ever again.

He didn't know, maybe the man was a good person that would not tell anybody about his late-night excursion—okay, phrasing it like that sounded wrong—but there was a chance, no matter how slight, that the person would blackmail him.

Fear struck Percy's heart as he contemplated that. He knew that the man remembered him—he had seen the flash of recognition in his eyes—and he could use said information to bring harm to Percy.

But Percy was thinking the worst of the man, wasn't he? Percy really hoped that his previous preconceptions of the man would not be the case.

Percy swallowed hard when it was the man's turn to come out.

The man bowed low, his head perking up so that his eyes would meet Percy's. "I am Nico, Son of Hades. I come from the great Seventeenth Nome of Upper Egypt. It is a pleasure to meet your acquaintance, my Prince." He took Percy's hand in his and kissed it, his lips lingering on the pale skin.

Percy swore his heart skipped a beat. It wasn't just because that kiss, that should have been the same as any other, had evoked some peculiar emotions and reactions from Percy's body, it was also due to the fact that he had called Percy _Prince. _Not Princess like the rest have done.

It felt amazing that someone besides Annabeth thought of him as a male and not female, it really did. Percy found himself listening, absorbed, to what Nico had to say for himself, how he would bring himself across in an appealing manner. He had already set himself apart from the others in Percy's mind, because of that one word.

_Maybe I've gotten a completely wrong impression of him. He might be the one I'm looking for, _Percy mused.

* * *

Straight after the Introduction Ceremony, all the suitors were sent to their respective resting places, and Percy was sent back to his room. Percy had really wanted to talk to Nico, since he had made such a strong impression on Percy during the Introduction Ceremony, but it was not allowed. Interactions between Percy and the suitors were forbidden outside of the courting procedures, they were only allowed under the watchful eyes of his father.

So, Percy had no choice but to go back to his room as ordered. Sighing to himself, both dreading and anticipating the next day's events, Percy went to his bed and fell asleep.

He woke up to find himself in the same battlefield as before. This time, he was not as disoriented as before and immediately went to the nearest soldier to ask for instructions. However, the soldier paid him no mind. In fact, the soldier seemed to look right through him.

"Hello," Percy asked tentatively, deciding to give it another try. Maybe physical contact could get a response. "Could you kindly tell me what I should do—?"

Percy took a sharp intake of breath as the hand he had attempted to put on the soldier's shoulder just passed right through. Just like that. As if he was intangible…

_What's going on? _Percy thought, panicking inside.

He scanned the battlefield he was in, looking at the soldiers on his side—all with severe, determined expressions on their face—before staring at the opposition.

It took him no less than a few seconds to realise that the enemy were not from Egypt. They all appeared foreign.

This wasn't just another case of civil unrest. This was an invasion.


End file.
